The Ganges Canal; [manuscript].

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"diverted from its channel to feed "the two canals east and west, "yet the undercurrent which per"colates the gravelly bed, together "with the drainage of the inter"mediate country, furnishes a "navigable stream of water at the "station of Agra, a distance of "260 miles by the river's course; "and the committee infer from "this example that in abstracting "6750 cubic feet from the Ganges "supply at [Kunkul ?], which during "the dry season is estimated at "8000 cubic feet per second, the "navigation of this river will not "be [?] below [Caunpoor ?]. Be"tween that point and Gurmookteesun "Ghat, the navigation for the larger "classes of river craft will probably "be [improved ?], if not altogether " [?], therefore it appears to the "committee to be absolutely neces"sary that the main line of canal "from KunKul to Caunpoor should "be [?] completely efficient "for navigation" The committee considered that it was in every way desirable to provide irrigation for the whole of the lands lying between the Kindun and Ganges rivers, and that this should be combined with navigation; to effect these objects it would be necessary to use 6750 cubic feet per seconds of supply. This supply the committee observes "will [?] "be found ample to carry one main "line of navigable canal from "Kunkul to Caunpoor, and to sup"ply irrigation to the whole district "bounded by the Ganges on the one "side, and by the Kindun and the Sumna

34 "Sumna on the other. The straight line by aqueduct (the aqueduct being faced by revetments in the form of Ghats) was preferred and recommended by the committee after a careful investigation of the circuitous route, over which a levelling instrument was passed; the preference to the aqueduct line was given on account of the many difficulties which attend the other in crossing numerous lines of drainage by dams constructed across the sandy beds of rivers on steep slopes; estimates however, were submitted for both lines, and the following detail left the adoption of either one or the other to the judgment of the Government. On Aqueduct Line Cost of works in the Khain [?] to the town of Roorkee 1870835 Cost of works from Roorkee to Counpoor 2701220 Do Futtigurh [?] 622540 Do Juppul [?] 184520 Do Shekoubad [?] 677140 Do Hlahubad [?] 291580 5 [percent ?] contingencies 317391 Total cos[t?] rupees 6665226 cost increased by building Ghat revetments 561180 Grand total cost of aqueduct line 7226406

Circuitous Line without aqueduct Cost of works in the Khadin [Rupees] 1188335.14.0 Do from Roorkee downwards, including branches as before 4476920.0.0 5 [percent ?] contingencies 283262.12.8 Grand total cost without aqueduct 5948518.10.8 from

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From the investigations of the committee on the subject of returns it was calculated that irrigation would be provided for 2303 square miles, the return upon which at the average rate of 10 [annas ?] [?] [Beega ?] would be equal to sq. miles 2303 x Beegas 1024 x [annas ?] 10 [over] 16 = 1486420 Rupees, independently of the collections for [mile ?] rent, transit duties, and the miscellanaous sales of canal produce. In closing the report the committee recommended that no time should be lost in commencing the manufacture of bricks at those points, which are common to both the straight and circuitous line, and that Captain Cautley should be permitted to commence at once the main trunk from Roorkee onwards, to Caunpoor, completing all the masonry heads of branches, and excavating such portions of the branches themselves, as the executive offices may find it in their power to undertake. It was also recommended that a staff of 3 executive officers, 6 assistant executives, and twelve overseers should be places at Captain Cautley's disposal. During the whole of the preliminary period

above [averted ?] to, Mr J. C. Robertson who was holding the reins of the Government of the north western provinces, and who from his appreciation of the value of the Sumna canals, looked with extraordinary interest and favor on the Ganges canal project, exerted every energy to break ground, and to advance

36

advance the progress of the works. The time, however, was that of our disasters in Afhganistan and in these combined with a change of the head of the Supreme Govt., may [?] be found as sufficient [explanation ?] of that wasn't of sympathy [?] the [?] which by leading to my [?] [?] aid of assistant engineers left me carry on the work at will as I [would ?] without it. On the 25th February 1822 orders were issued by the Agra Government for the commencement of the work on the terms of the committee's recommendation, and on the 16th of April following ground was broken in the neighborhood of Kunkul by a commencement of the excavation of the channel. At the same period also brickmaking was commenced at different points on the line under the supervision of Mr Wright, an uncovenanted not in the civil or military officer who was under my orders serve of the company on the eastern Sumna canals. At this period also Lieutenant Trumbull of the engineers was detached by me from the eastern Sumna canal works, to commence operations on the high land from Roorkee downwards; so that with the means at our disposal we had in the month of July 1822, lined out nearly one hundred miles, collected a large quantity of materials, and had excavation in full progress at three different points. As far back as May of the same year some doubts had been expressed by the Supreme Government as to the proprietyof proceeding with the works, and various reasons were alleged for entertaining this view ; my application in

37

in fact for stuff had been met by a desire to suspend for the present the arrangements and appointments which I had recommended, on financial and other considerations. The collection of material and excavation, however, were allowed to proceed, until the month of July, when the Supreme Government in a letter dated 21st of June 1842, to the address of Mr Hamilton the Secretary to Government [?], in directing all the works to be stopped, called for statements of expenditure up to the time of closing the works, with a report upon their present state. My report which accompanied these statements was dated 7th August 1842, it referred to a letter addressed to the military [board ?] by Colonel Stuart, Military Secretary to the Government with the Governor General, dated, Allahabad, 29th June 1842 (8 days after the letter from the Supreme Court to Mr Hamilton just alluded to above had been written) by which it appeared that the intentions of the Governor General had been modified, and that it was now his wish that the works should be prosecuted on the principle established in Mr Hamiltons letter [No 980 ?] of the 17th June 1842; accordingly I stated in my report that in consequence of having received the military board's orders conveying those of the Government dated 29th June "I had directed "the daily parties to be again "entertained; at the same time "it would relieve me from much "anxiety if Government would at "once place a limit on my annual "expenditure, which will enable me to